Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1887-12-08
INTERSTATE COMMERCE.

/ pages, and bears the signatures of all
the commissioner. The commission de-
votes q aozeu pages &c o historic sketch Of
the country's transportation facilities. from
the pack horse and canoe of the early days
to the mammoth institutions of the present,
tracing back TO their origin all those griev-
ances and abuses which finally led to the
| passage of the interstate ret Under the
heading &Ihe carriers subject TO its 1.-THE
act'sl jurisdictions. the commission says:
Some OF the railroad practices which the act
undertakes to hFing to an end have been COM
mon among carriers by water also. and II wrong
In themselves might justly be forbidden in their
ease as wsfl. II does not. however, int nd TO ia-
innate an opinion that these things are cosnmon,
the commission is Ct the opinion that the ex-
press business done by the railroad companies
themselves is within the act Whether the
express companies which are independent
OF the railroads are within the contemplation
of the act Is more doubtful. The sleeping car
companies. live stock car companies aud oil COM
panles which transport ia tank cars. are as nauch
subject 70 the temptation to discrim,natea as the
ttr such action Hs 1t may choose to take In the
premises.
The long and short haul clause is exhaust
! lively discussed, together with the reasons of
the commission for temporarily s~uspending
the provision in certain sections, and they
say. in part:
The Considerations which were influential In
determining WHEN these temporary orders should
be gfsnseI were aot more the relief OF the car
HTS adDatt ia IJS1 kdh Il DAEN Httbtf VI
thrt atened disturbance of business interests ia
certain ioc tiities, which by It's reflex action
seemed liable 70 embarrass seriously the entire
country. In large sections OF the country
OBJ ,dl5nce to the general rule OF The fourth
section is without important exception.
White less has b en- done in the direction OF
bringing the freight tariffs nto conformitvw with
III general rule prescribed by the fourth sec ION
than some perstns expected. there has neverthe-
less been q gratifying advances IN that direction,
and there is every reason to believe that this
| will continue.
DIMINISHED Evils.
The commission, after quoting that part of
the twelfth section which empowers IT 10
sinqulre into the business of ali common
carriers saws:
This is a very important provision. The COM
MISSION viii not hesitate to take notion under it
in any care in whiea a mischief Of public tmpor-
lance Is thought to exist and which Is NOS likely
to be brought 10 its attes tion on complaint Of a
private prosecutor There is every reason
most serious evils which were notorious
in The railway service before the passage OF
the act. and were in the legislative mind as
reasons tor its enactment, have now almost
ceased TO exist One of these was the giving of
| 81 ecial and secret rebates. Complaints OF I'M
just iscriminations and the giving of undue and
unreasonable preferences By the open rates are
frequent and il is not 10 be denied that in the
existing tariffs there are many rates which, as
| compared with others made bg the same carriers.
seem 4 be unfair and oppressive. But even
as reAards this species Of Injustice the good
| effects Of the Rw are manifest. Being now COM
PEELED to justify their rates when called
| on, makes managers more cautious about doing
/ injustice. In q majority of cases either the
complsi ant has BEEN found to be mistaken la
his facts, or If wroEged, it has been through
carolessness or mismanagemens which the car
rier readiy corrected; or If the facts preseated
a case o. difference OF opinion, the parties, when
/ bru ught / TO communication. succeeded IN find-
ing some basis for settlement without further
Interruption. This method of dis of COM
| plants il believed by the commission 10 be more
useful than any other, because its tendency is
toward the establishment Of desirable relations
between the carrier and those who must he the
customer.
The report comments at some length on
the plan adopted by the commission of hav-
ing the hearings before il stripped of all I'M
necessary tormaiity so that plain men could
be speedily heard without the aid of law
yers. The commission urges the desirable
tty of q uniform freight classification
throughout the COUNTRY. but doubts the
ability to reach the matter by legislation,
while without it there is a gradual approach
TO uniformity effected by the railroads
| themselves any commission appointed b.
the government TO make a uniform freight
classification would have to 90 at it in much
the same way. The commission says:
The pooling OF freights and OF railroad earn
ings, 50 far as the commission has knowledge or
on the subject, came to an end
when the act took effect But as pooling was
only Que Of the several PURPOSES had in view in
forming railroad associations, the leading asso-
Citations have not been dissolved. but have been
continued in existence fer other objects. Among
these objects are the making of regular rates for
uninterrupted aad harmonious railroad COM
municatton and exchange OF traffic within the
territory embraced by their Workings. S1me
regulations In addition 10 those made by the
law are almost IL not al ogetber Indispensable.
THUS. VIII IL the seventh section OF the act for
bids the carriers preventing shipments trOm be-
ing continuous by the device OF changing time
schedules, carriage in different cars, etc.
It has not undertaken to provide for
the msking Of such time schedules as would
facilitate The continuous shipment, or TO pre-
scribe rules for the loading and movement Of
cars for that purpose.
REASONABLE CHARGES
In it's chapter upon reasonable charges"
the commission says:
or the duties devoived upon the commission
by the act to regulate comunerce. none Is more
perplextng aud difficult than that Of passing
upon complaints made OF rates as being unrea-
senable. The question of the reasonableness OF
rates involves many considerations aud is so ef-
fected by circumstances and conditions which
may at first blush seem foreign that
it is quite impossible TO deal with 1t on purely
mathematical PRINCIPLES, OF on any principles
whatever. without a consciousness thar no con-
elusion which mag be reached can By demon
strstion be shown to be abs lutely correct. The
public interest Is best served when the rates are
so Gpportioled as to encourage the largest
practicable change OF products between
different sections OF our country and
With foreign countries; and this can only
y We NbGp W VA ~ ia AhESANAA SVlA-
sideration. anu by placing upoa the higher
classes of freight some share Of the burden that
on 3 relatively equal apporttonment II service
alone were considered. would fail upon those of
less valua A study of tho act has satisfied the
commission That 1t was inteaded in 4v8 passage
g preserve for the people the benefits
transportation lines of the country.
II that snail be done the towns which have great
natural ADVANTAGES. or advantages acquired By
large expendi, ures of MONEY in establishing new
thoroughfares Of commerce., viii have cheaper
rates than can ordinarily be Oh aimed by towns
less favorahy situated IL Nigh: possibly be
prescribe for the several interstate railroads
equal mileage rates Tor the whole country,
bnt this. If enforced, would put an end TO COM
| petition as n tsetor in making rates, and TO a
very large extent deprive he gre business cen-
ters OF The country of their seyerai natursl adj
vantaces and also Of the beneft OF expenditures
channels of trade. 1t would. In fact, work a rev.
otution In the business OF the country. which,
though it might be greatly beneficial IN some d.
rectlons. would be fearfully destructive In others.
Congress has not by The existing legislation un-
dertaGen to inaugurate such a revolution. The
competition by water is the most important
points where the lines of land and water trans
p~ortation i~ntersect. The experience of the
country has demonstrated that the artificial
waterway cannot be successful competitors with
the railroads on full terms. Tbs railroads long
since deprived the great canals OF Ohio. Indiana
and Illinois of nearly all their importance, and
the Erie canal is only maintained as a great
channel of trade by the iberaIity of the State OF
New York in making its use free, In their COM
petitIye struggles with each osher towns cannot
ignore the eff sct which the existence of natural
waterways must have upon railroad tariffs: the
railroad companies cannot Ignore II, nor can the
commission ignore y If competition Is still 10
exist and be allowed for its force according 70
natural laws. Neither can the great free Erie
canal be ignored: 1t infiuenees the rates to New
York more than any otaer one cause, and indi-
rectiy, through its influence upon the rates to
New York, 1t Influences these TO all other sea-
board cities, and, indeed, TO all that section Of
the country.
THE Law BENEFICIAL
The commission finds tina the operation of
the law has. In general. been beneficial; that
it tends to increase railroad earnings, while,
at the same time, the tendency of rates has
been downward. These facts are attributed
TO the increased movement of materials, in
auced by faith IN the stability and fairness
of the charges. On amendments TO the law
the report says:
The commission has not seen occasion for rec
o~amending any very considerable changes in
the act under which It's work Is performed. IL
regulation of interstate nme should be per
nnittcd TO save a growth, and thar it would most
surely as well as most safely attain q high de-
gree OF efficiency and usefulness in thar way.
The general features Of the act are grounded in
principles that will stand the test of time and
experience, can determine whether all the pro-
visions made fer their enforcement are safe,
sound and workable. When they prove
not to be. the experience will
be a safe gard in legislation to
perfect. Incidentally In this Ieport some need
OF amendment has been pointed out. Especially
onghs the law, as we think. 10 indicate in plain
terms whether the express business and all
other Essasportation by the carriers named In
the act Shall be governed by its provisions. The
provision against the sudden raising of rates
ought TO be clearly made applicable to joint
rates as well IS TO others. The commission